Star Wars: Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi - PG
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there are two versions of this feature, the original 1983 release (on VHS and Laserdisc) and a later one on DVD to which George Lucas added enhanced special effects -- some of the aliens are obvious puppets, others are obvious CGI. Both feature abundant fantasy violence, from spaceship dogfights and light-saber duels to guerilla-style war waged with primitive weapons by the cute Ewoks (which is played largely for laughs, though one Ewok is shown dead). Deaths of prominent characters in the series, including a peaceful one in bed for Master Yoda and a more dramatic exit (and funeral pyre) for Anakin Skywalker.
Families can talk about the characters' choices and motivations. Why do you think Hans and Lando both put aside their roughish swaggers to play heroes? The ghoulish Galactic Emperor gloats that he has foreseen everything that's happening and everything is going according to his plan for the triumph of the dark side. Where does his plan go wrong and why? Is it believable and consistent, given what all the Star Wars films have informed us about these Jedi throughout the saga?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Charles Cassady, Jr.
EPISODE VI: THE RETURN OF THE JEDI concluded (so far) the mighty Star Wars saga, conceived by George Lucas, a film series that changed movie history and raised the bar for special effects, science-fiction wonderment, blockbuster earnings, and movie marketing (especially with toys and souvenirs laser-targeted at kid fans). It's a properly triumphant finale, filled with action -- and yet, coming after the best and emotionally richest chapter, The Empire Strikes Back, a slight disappointment. You can see the infatuation with visual gimmickry, cute/silly aliens and robots, plotlines apparently written to be video-game ready, and a disinterest in good acting; a toymaker mentality that continued when Lucas picked up the storyline again in prequels beginning with The Phantom Menace.
A lengthy opener has Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and the other Rebel Alliance heroes and robots assembling one by one to rescue their friend Han Solo (Harrison Ford) from his frozen state of suspended animation in the palace of a gross, sluglike galactic gangster called Jabba the Hutt (played by a lumpy puppet). In the credits every single bizarre creature in Jabba's retinue, no matter how insignificant, has a name, usually a nerdy one ("Sy Snoodles"). If only as much imagination went into the rest of the plotline.
As in the kickoff Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, the terrible galactic Empire has a Death Star -- yes, another one -- under construction. The rebels once again seek to destroy the monstrous doomsday weapon, and with it the sinister Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) who has arrived to personally supervise the project. Luke knows that this will be his chance to again confront the Emperor's evil cyborg disciple Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones), who in the last movie, was shown to be Luke's long-lost father Anakin, once a noble Jedi Knight. Luke refuses to believe that his parent has gone over forever to the dark side of the Force.
The finale is a three-stage battle: Luke duels with Darth under the gloating gaze of the Emperor; meanwhile the Rebel Alliance throws every ship they have against the fleet of the Empire; mean-meanwhile, on the forest moon of Endor, Han and friends strive to blow up a power plant generating a force field that protects the Death Star. (Wouldn't a ship the size of a moon have room to carry its own force-field generator on board itself? Just asking.) While each individual stage is thrilling, cutting back and forth among them disrupts the overall flow. Then there are the Ewoks, cute little alien primitives who look like teddy-bear monkeys, and who come to our heroes' aid. Before Jar Jar Binks came along, Ewoks were things more mature Star Wars fans didn't like to talk about.
Still, making the fight for the souls of the two Skywalkers as important as the Rebels vs. the Empire is a nice bit of dramatics, as is the idea of Luke struggling to avoid feelings of anger and revenge that might lure him to the dark side. Ironically, though, the original title of this film was "Revenge of the Jedi" (you can still find collectible posters with this tag), which was changed at the last minute, reportedly out of commercial worries a concurrent Star Trek sequel was using "Vengeance" in the title. Someone wasn't looking hard at themes here.
After Return of the Jedi, LucasFilm created spin-offs for even younger viewers, Ewoks and Droids cartoon series (available on home video) and two network TV-movie spin-offs, The Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, both Robinson Crusoe-type tales centered around those adorable furry aliens, no real connection to the Skywalker chronicles. Parents should know that The Battle for Endor begins with the (non-explicit) massacre of almost the whole human cast of The Ewok Adventure, a real "what were they thinking?" moment.
For some real discussion-worthy material for parents and kids, Ewok lovers and haters alike, there exist a trio of documentaries made around 2000 that examine the Star Wars craze and the fans who find meaning in the characters and even in the Force. They're called Star Woids, The Fandom Menace, and -- probably the best and easiest to locate on video -- A Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentScantily clad harem girls dance suggestively in the lair of Jabba the Hutt, including Princess Leia. |
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ViolenceExplosions of spacecraft and ground weapons. Light-saber fighting results in loss of limbs. Speedy airborne craft slam into trees, and soldiers are shot down by blaster fire, and one Ewok dies. Robots and pig-like aliens are dismembered and devoured in Jabba the Hutt's dungeons. Jabba is strangled slowly by a chain. |
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Social BehaviorLuke Skywalker successfully resists giving in to the dark side of the Force, and he repeatedly asserts that there is still good remaining in his father, the diabolical Darth Vader. Both the roguish Han Solo and Lando Calrissian end up in heroic leadership roles. It may be significant that the Empire is composed entirely of white males, while the rebels are a blend of genders, races, and species. You might refer young viewers to the novelizations of the Star Wars universe for more in-depth discussions of the morality and ethical conflicts -- which usually play second fiddle to the special effects in the movies. |
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CommercialismThere was an Empire of toy tie-ins and cartoon spin-offs. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoNone, unless you count the hookah pipes in Jabba's place. |
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